Sensors can be used in various types of devices to measure and monitor properties of systems in a wide variety of different applications. For example, sensors have become common in products that rely on electronics in their operation, such as motor control systems and automobile control systems. Common examples of motor control applications include detection of the position and/or rotation of a motor and common examples of automotive applications include detection of ignition timing from a position or rotation of an engine crankshaft and/or camshaft, detection of wheel speed for anti-lock braking systems and four-wheel steering systems, detection of window positioning, and other applications.
Many sensors generate analog signals and compare the analog signals to a threshold to generate a digital output signal. Such sensors often employ a hysteresis feature to avoid undesirable switching glitches when generating digital output signals. Sensors often also employ power reduction features. For example, it is sometimes desirable to power off system components at certain times in order to reduce power consumption.